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Design · head to head

Photopea vs Sketch

Photopea logo

Photopea

Design

Free online photo editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sketch logo

Sketch

Technology

The digital design toolkit

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Photopea has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Photopea performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files; Sketch macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • They diverge on capability: Photopea covers Photo editing, Sketch covers Vector editing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Photopea and Sketch actually diverge.

Attributes where Photopea and Sketch differ
AttributePhotopeaSketch
Starting priceFree$12/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebmacOS, Web, iOS, iPad
CategoryDesignTechnology
Founded20132010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Photopea

  • Photo editing
  • PSD compatibility
  • Layer support
  • Selection tools
  • Filters and effects
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Adobe fonts

Only in Sketch

  • Vector editing
  • Symbols & components
  • Prototyping
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Developer handoff
  • Plugins ecosystem
  • Cloud sync
  • Version history

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Photopea

  • Quick photo editsnot Sketch
  • PSD file editingnot Sketch
  • Web design
  • Social media graphicsnot Sketch

Sketch

  • UI designnot Photopea
  • Mobile app designnot Photopea
  • Web design
  • Design systemsnot Photopea
  • Prototypingnot Photopea

Both are used for web design, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Photopea

  • Performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • Risk of losing work due to browser crashes or save failures
  • Aggressive advertising that can slow down the entire computer
  • No local installation option, always requires browser access
  • Basic file organization and version tracking compared to professional tools

Sketch

  • macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • Real-time collaboration feels less seamless than Figma with occasional sync delays
  • Limited built-in image editing capabilities, requiring external software for bitmap work
  • Subscription required for cloud features and collaboration, losing access if subscription lapses

Pricing, plan by plan

Photopea

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Photopea review.

Sketch

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Unlimited documents
    • Unlimited free viewers
  • Professional$24/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
    • Project archiving
  • Enterprise$44/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • SCIM provisioning
    • BYOK encryption
  • Mac-only License$120/perpetual
    • Native Mac app
    • Offline access
    • Local file saving

Which should you pick?

Choose Photopea if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want psd compatibility.
Photopea review

Choose Sketch if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You work on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
  • You also want symbols & components.
Sketch review

Questions people ask

Is Photopea or Sketch better?
Neither clearly leads. Photopea starts at Free and Sketch at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Photopea or Sketch?
Photopea has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Photopea and $12/month for Sketch.
Does Photopea or Sketch run on more platforms?
Photopea runs on Web. Sketch runs on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
Can I use Photopea for free?
Yes. Photopea has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sketch starts at $12/month.
What is Photopea best used for?
Photopea is most often used for quick photo edits, psd file editing, web design, social media graphics. Of those, quick photo edits and psd file editing are not what Sketch is typically brought in for.
What can Photopea do that Sketch cannot?
Photopea covers Photo editing, PSD compatibility, Layer support, Selection tools. Sketch covers Vector editing, Symbols & components, Prototyping, Real-time collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Photopea: Is Photopea free to use?

Yes, Photopea is completely free and supported by ads displayed within the browser. No subscription or payment is required to use the full feature set.

Source
Sketch: Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux?

No. Sketch is macOS-only for the design and prototyping features. Web and mobile apps provide viewing and collaboration, but editing requires macOS 14.0 or later.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea support Photoshop PSD files?

Yes, Photopea fully supports Photoshop PSD files including layers, masks, text, and effects. It can read and export files back to PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, or GIF format.

Source
Sketch: Does Sketch offer a free trial?

Yes. Sketch provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also purchase a one-time Mac-only license for $120 per seat instead of subscribing.

Source
Photopea: What platforms does Photopea run on?

Photopea is a web-based editor accessible through any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It can be added to desktop as a shortcut or Chrome extension.

Source
Sketch: What collaboration features does Sketch include?

Sketch supports real-time collaboration, unlimited document sharing, unlimited viewers, and version history on all paid subscription plans (Standard $12/month, Professional $24/month, Enterprise $44/month).

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea upload my files to servers?

No. Photopea processes images entirely within your browser and does not upload files to external servers, keeping your work private and secure.

Source
Sketch: Can I use Sketch offline?

Yes. The one-time Mac-only license ($120) allows you to use Sketch offline and save files locally, but it excludes cloud collaboration and iOS previewing features.

Source
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